I’ve Fallen in Love with Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

If you drive straight up 75 North from Knoxville about eleven hours you’ll arrive in Mackinaw City, Michigan. Located on the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, Mackinaw City provides access to the Mackinac Bridge, the five-mile gateway to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (the U.P.). It’s here where our exploration of the wilder side of Michigan begins and you’ll see why I’ve fallen in love with Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The Mackinac Bridge spans the Mackinac Straits (where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron merge). It connects the Lower Peninsula at Mackinaw City to the Upper Peninsula at St. Ignace. From either side, you can catch the Shepler’s Ferry to reach the legendary Mackinac Island.

👉 Travel tip: If you want shorter ferry lines, depart from St. Ignace—but be prepared for crowds during summer.

Mackinac Island is a slice of paradise perched between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas surrounded by the turquoise waters of Lake Huron. Motor vehicles are banned here. Instead, you’ll find bicycles and horse-drawn carriages.

While I’d like to tell you that the moment you step off the ferry, life slows down, that’s wasn’t true for us. It was rather overwhelming as we waded our way through the throng of vacationers pouring out of Shepler’s Ferry. Thankfully, we saw the Lucky Bean Coffee House offered a cozy pause for a latte (and black coffee for Hubby). Once we had refueled, we set off on foot to explore the island.  

Instead of biking, we chose to hike the Lake Shore Boulevard Trail, an 8.2 mile route that circles the island. This is also a major bike route, so for a while, we were dodging bikes. Unfortunately, judging by the wobbling and weaving, this was the first time many of these visitors had been on a bike in a long time.

As we moved away from downtown, the crowds thinned and we began to experience the tranquility Mackinac Island is known for. As we walked, the soft breeze brushed our faces. We paused to watch sailboats skim across the clear waters of Lake Huron. We were mesmerized by the beauty surrounding us, and our steps automatically slowed as we gazed out over the water and listened to the soft splash of waves on the rocky shore.

Reluctantly, we turned away from the shore for our first stop – Mackinac Island Original Butterfly House. This indoor garden is home to over 1000 butterflies imported from around the world. Vibrant butterflies flitted from flower to flower and even landed on Hubby’s sleeve.

You could spend hours here watching these colorful, and not so colorful, butterflies flutter around the fountain, dart from person to person, and feed from the feeding trays. You can re-enter throughout the day which is handy because of the tropical temperatures in the indoor garden.

All too soon it was time to leave, and we departed the Butterfly House, wishing we had more time. Our path led us past the brilliant green of the golf course and the groupings of Adirondak chairs at the Mission Point Resort. Just a little past the resort, we approached the stairs to Arch Rock.

Towering approximately 140 feet over Lake Huron,  Arch Rock forms an impressive limestone window through which you can see the turquoise waters below. The 207-step trek from Lake Shore Blvd to the Arch is not for the faint at heart. Thankfully you can also reach Arch Rock via carriage tour.

As we huffed and puffed our way to the top, the crowds grew. You can tell this is one of the more popular points on Mackinac Island. In the past, people would actually climb up and stand on Arch Rock.  Unfortunately, that is forbidden today, but there is a platform that gets you close access to Arch Rock.

After you take your peak through the Arch at the water below and nab that selfie, you’ll want to visit the Milliken Nature Center which displays historic images of the “Arch” and gives you all the details about the geological formations on the island (Hubby was enamored to say the least).

As we descended, I couldn’t help thinking how I’d love to spend the night here. September offers surprisingly affordable rates at the Inn on Mackinac, and I’m already planning a return trip.

Driving northwest from St. Ignace, we entered the Upper Peninsula with miles of forests and almost no traffic. At any moment, I expected to see a moose strolling along the deserted road. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any moose, but it’s easy to see why people fall in love with this untouched wilderness.

About ninety minutes later, we arrived at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Like all the state parks in Michigan, a recreation passport is required for entry. While the Falls are the stars of this state park, neither is visible from the parking areas nor roads.

The Upper Falls at over 200 feet wide, with a 50-foot drop is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi river and the largest one in Michigan. The river flowing over the falls is an amber color due to the tannins that leach from the trees in the swamps drained by the river. This in addition to the foam caused by the soft water and the fall’s force has led this waterfall to jokingly be called “Root Beer Falls”. The Upper Falls can be viewed from a platform, or you can descend 112 steps to reach the edge of the river.

If you’re feeling energetic, you can hike the four-mile trail that goes between the upper and lower falls. If not, you can drive around.

While the Upper Falls are more popular than the Lower Falls, the Lower Falls offer the serenity of a less crowded area. The Lower Falls are actually a series of five falls that are connected around a small island. For those who are wheelchair-bound, Tahquamenon offers a track chair that enables wheelchair-bound visitors the ability to see the areas of the park that might otherwise be out of reach.

Go an hour and a half slightly southwest and you encounter Munising – home to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. These towering multi-colored sandstone cliffs and sea cares stretch for over 15 miles along the shores of Lake Superior and are one of the most popular areas in the UP.

This is the first established National Lakeshore in the United States, and as such is administered by the National Park Service and requires either an America the Beautiful pass or a day pass.

The cliffs of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore are best seen from the water, so we decided we would try two different boat cruises.

Hubby wanted to check out the Glass-bottom boat shipwreck tour, and I wanted to take advantage of the sunset Pictured Rocks tour. While the shipwreck tour gave you a tour of two different shipwrecks, the Bermuda and the Herman H. Hettler, it also gave you a quick look at the cliffs and a great view of the East Channel Lighthouse. While it was fascinating how well you could see the wrecks in the clear water of Lake Superior, we both agreed that we would not repeat this experience.

On the other hand, the Pictured Rocks Sunset Cruise is definitely an experience we will repeat, especially since it rained on our way back. These guided boat tours operate seasonally from mid-May through mid-October and offer you a water view of  the picturesque cliffs including such places as Miners Castle Rock, Battleship Rocks and Chapel Rock.

Yet again we found ourselves wanting more time to explore this beautiful part of the UP. We visited both the upper and lower overlooks of Miners Castle Rock which gave us a panoramic view of this breathtaking area. We also took a little time to explore one of the many beaches on Lake Superior where we were amazed at how clear the water was. Sadly, time ran out before we could see the nearby waterfalls—yet another reason to come back.

There are so many more places to visit in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – we’ve barely scratched the surface. I can’t wait to return to a place I have grown to love – the UP of Michigan.

From the peace of Mackinac Island to the roar of Tahquamenon Falls and the stunning cliffs of Pictured Rocks, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, like Northern Michigan, has captured my heart. There’s still so much left to explore – breathtaking waterfalls, hidden beaches, and a zillion lighthouses. I can’t wait to return to the U.P.